The present invention relates to a method of removing the germination ability of whole cottonseed, which is widely used as feed for ruminants, and coating whole cottonseed using gelatinized starch, which is prepared by gelatinizing starch in a preparation process, and more particularly, to a method of preparing whole cottonseed for livestock without a drying process, wherein the germination ability of the whole cottonseed is removed using high-temperature steam, and, simultaneously, the surface of the whole cottonseed is coated with gelatinized starch with high viscosity to have high strength, wherein the gelatinized starch is prepared by gelatinizing starch added as a coating agent.    [Reference 1] Arieli, A. 1998. Whole cottonseed in dairy cattle feeding: a review. Animal Feed Science and Technology. 72 (1-2): 97-110.    [Reference 2] Moreira, V. R., Satter, L. D. and Harding, B. 2004. Comparison of Conventional Linted Cottonseed and Mechanically Delinted Cottonseed in Diets for Dairy Cows. Journal of Dairy Science. 87:131138.    [Reference 3] Beranrd, J. K. 1999, Performance of Lactating Dairy Cows Fed Whole Cottonseed Coated with Gelatinized Corn starch. Journal of Dairy Science. 82:1305-1309.    [Reference 4] ISAAA, 2011. International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (www(dot)isaaa(dot)org).    [Reference 5] Inkyu Han. 1991. Feeds & Nutrition, Korean Society of Animal Nutrition and Feedstuffs, SUN JIN Media group.    [Reference 6] Korean Patent No. 10-1337883    [Reference 7] Lai H M. 2001. Effects of hydrothermal treatment on the physicochemical properties of pregelatinized rice flour. Food Chem 72:455-463.    [Reference 8] Khan, N. U., K. B. Marwat, G. Hassan, Farhatullah, S. Batool, K. Makhdoom, W. Ahmad and H. U. Khan., 2010. Genetic variation and heritability for cotton seed, fiber and oil traits in GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM L. Pak. J. Bot., 42 (1):615-625.    [Reference 9] Booyong Lee, Chulkyun Mok, Chulho Lee. 1993. Comparison of differential scanning calorimetry with enzymatic method for the determination of gelatinization degree of cornstarch. Korean J. FOOD SCI. TECHNOL. Vol. 25:400-403.    [Reference 10] Wang, S. S., Chiang, W. C., Yeh, A. I., Zhao, B. L. and Kim, I. H. 1991. Experimental analysis and computer simulation of starch-water interaction during phase transition. J. Food Sci., 56:121.
Whole cottonseed is a seed left after removal of long fibers, i.e., lint, from the cotton, and the surface of whole cottonseed may be surrounded by any remaining lint. As a source of feed for livestock, whole cottonseed has good palatability, and has a high energy value of 2.3 MCal NEI/kg and high levels of nutritive components, e.g., about 15 to 17% fat, 15 to 21% protein, 85 to 90% total digestible nutrients (TDN), and 24% crude fiber (26 to 31% ADF), and the like, and furthermore, lint, which is almost pure cellulose and surrounds cottonseed, can be 100% digested by ruminal microorganisms. Therefore, whole cottonseed has a great value as a source of feed for livestock (see Arieli, A. 1998. Whole cottonseed in dairy cattle feeding: a review. Animal Feed Science and Technology 72 (1-2): 97-110).
Since both energy content and crude fiber content of whole cottonseed are high, whole cottonseed is very useful in increasing milk yield and maintaining the normal milk fat percentage of dairy cows, and a quantity of whole cottonseed is used during the late fattening period of fattening cattle, during which energy intake is increased. Particularly, since vegetable fat existing in the interior of whole cottonseed is protected by a seed coat surrounding whole cottonseed, breakdown of vegetable fat occurs not in the ruminant stomach but in the small intestine of ruminants, and this dissolved fat is absorbed into the small intestine. Thus, whole cottonseed has excellent energy efficiency.
Gene-related technologies have been being applied to agriculture to secure food resources along with increase in world population. Cultivation of living modified organisms (LMO) is increasing globally, and LMO cotton occupies 15.4% of the cultivated area of total LMO crops (see International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), 2011. www(dot)isaaa(dot)org). Although, on the basis of the amount of crops, LMO corn is first among LMO crops imported into the domestic market, LMO cottonseed is the second most imported LMO crop, and the amount of imported LMO cottonseed is about 130,000 tons as of 2011 (see Korea biosafety clearing house, 2011. www(dot)biosafety(dot)or(dot)kr). In addition, since LMO cottonseed imported for feed has the ability to germinate, modified genes may be unintentionally exposed to the domestic environment. Accordingly, LMO-related Korean laws restrict feed manufacture using LMO cottonseed and the distribution process of LMO cottonseed so that revitalization of the feed industry may be constrained. Therefore, development of technology for inhibiting germination ability in a feed production process may greatly contribute to advancement of the domestic feed industry, and furthermore, fundamentally prevent unintended release of foreign genes into the domestic natural environment.
In the cotton industry, long fibers, i.e., lint, are stripped from the cotton, and the fibers are then processed into a final product. Although most of lint, which surrounds the surface of cottonseed, is separated from cottonseed in a process, such as ginning, the lint is not completely separated therefrom. Accordingly, whole cottonseed, which is the seed left after a ginning process and is used as feed for domestic animals, has a certain amount of lint adhered to the seed coat as well as seed enclosed in a hard seed coat (see Beranrd, J. K. 1999, Performance of Lactating Dairy Cows Fed Whole Cottonseed Coated with Gelatinized Corn starch. Journal of Dairy Science. 82:1305-1309. Such lint adhered to the surface of whole cottonseed tangles and easily agglomerates, and thus lint makes it difficult for whole cottonseed to be transferred and to be mixed with other feed or causes separation phenomenon in a feed preparation process, and furthermore, can aggravate a working environment by generating dust (Moreira, V. R., Satter, L. D. and Harding, B. 2004. Comparison of Conventional Linted Cottonseed and Mechanically Delinted Cottonseed in Diets for Dairy Cows. Journal of Dairy Science. 87:131138). Whole cottonseed distributed domestically is imported from America and Australia, and a proportion of lint to whole cottonseed is about 12.8% (w/w) in the case of whole cottonseed made in America and about 7.5% (w/w) in the case of whole cottonseed made in Australia. In addition, the method of coating whole cottonseed while minimally removing lint which has excellent nutritional value may be an important means to improve the availability of whole cottonseed and resolve various problems encountered when using whole cottonseed for feed.